THE AIR Force on Tuesday won the Cabinet’s nod for its Bt3.2-billion upgrade programme for its fleet of 14 F-5T Tigris jet fighters, some of which have been in service since the late 1970s. However, they have already gone through two major upgrades over the past decades to keep them in fighting condition. While the F-5 jet fighters were well-received among US allies in Asia and other regions, they were never used in combat by the US. From 2000 to 2003, 27 F-5Es and four F-5Fs were given the second major upgrade by an Israeli firm. Of them, 16 had their safety system enhanced while 15 saw a second major upgrade to boost combat capabilities.

Source: The Nation Bangkok August 02, 2017 17:26 UTC